In order to reduce the time from citizen's call to operational services assistance, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) project “Single Contact Centre Platform for operational services support and delivery of public services” (project) has been implemented, which improves processing of single emergency call number 112 calls, resource management and exchange of information between operational services. In addition to informing and educating citizens about the 112 phone number and actions in various threats, a new 112 Latvia app has been developed and the website ww.112.lv.
In the event of an accident, it is important to provide appropriate assistance as soon as possible, so after several years of work, a major project has come to an end which will reduce the time for operational services to help those in distress. In order to achieve this, the receipt and processing of emergency reports will take place at two levels in future," emphasizes Chief of the State Fire and Rescue Service M.Baltmanis.
At first level 112 Contact Centre brings in and handles all citizens messages (like calls, eCalls, incident text messages) and evaluates these messages, which results that only emergency calls being directed to the operational services concerned. At level two, the State fire-fighting and Rescue Service and State Police Resource Management centres shall receive information electronically and simultaneously regarding the accident, which shall send the necessary operational Service resource to the scene.
“If in the past a large part of the calls received to the 112 telephone number were diverted, but information regarding calls to other operational services was transferred by telephone, then after implementation of the project the call forwarding and telephone transmission of information shall take place only to the Emergency Medical service,” adds M.Baltmanis.
One of the most significant benefits of the project for residents is that when you call 112 about events that require police involvement only, residents are no longer diverted and do not need to repeat information because the 112 dispacher accepts information about what happened. If residents continue to call 110, they will also be connected to a 112 Contact Centre, which will accept information about the accident and pass information about it to the necessary operational services and other authorities. Citizens should therefore be aware that 112 dispachers will not, at the request of citizens, divert calls to specific police stations in the State Police and local Government, but will instead find out where and what has happened and assess whether and what operational services are involved and to what extent is required.
To improve 112 call processing and operational service management a Single Contact Centre platform was developed and implemented as part of the project. As the chief of the information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior, Aris Dzervans, points out: 'The Single Contact Centre Platform is a unique solution adapted to the needs of SFRS and State Police, its development and implementation is a large and complex work that was not to be carried out in Latvia until now. The introduction of the Single Contact Centre Platform is a qualitative new step in the development of operational services. It marks the transition to the new technological platform and provides a logical and technological basis for the further digitisation of emergency response processes and the exchange of information between operational services, as well as for the automation of the management of operational services.
Guna Balakleita, the spokesperson of the technological solutions developers SIA “Meditec” adds: “We want to emphasize that this is the first project of this scale in Latvia. Within the framework of the project, in cooperation with operational services, a platform has been created that receives calls, coordinates the execution of events ranging from working time and resource planning to reporting and analytics. '
Inform, receive and learn - download and install the new “112 Latvija” app on your smartphone!
Everyone in Latvia who has a smartphone is invited to download and use the new free “112 Latvija” app, which gives the user several advantages - the ability to call or send a text message to the single emergency call number 112, receive notifications about the potential threat and learn how to handle various dangerous situations.
The changes in the climate and security situation contribute to the possibility of different threats. Last year showed it well – flooding in Jekabpils, devastating hail, storms. Therefore, a knowledgeable citizen who is informed and able to do the right thing to mitigate the consequences of the threat is of increasing importance. Be one of the first to learn up-to-date meteorologists' alerts, information about a serious threat or check alert sirens, download and use the new app 112 Latvia" invaits M.Baltmanis.
Benefits of the new 112 Latvia application
- The 112 Latvia app user will receive a notification on their smartphone screen about potential threats, such as red or orange-level warnings about hazardous weather conditions, screening alert sirens and other events that cause residents to be prepared to take action if necessary or require immediate action from residents.
- 112 dispachers will see the approximate caller location when they call 112. This will provide an opportunity to provide more operational assistance to those residents who cannot name the exact needles of the accident. For the dispacher to see the location of the person, you must allow the application to access the telephone location at the time of installation or later.
- Sending a message to 112 is not a daily solution for quick notification of operational services. It promotes 112 accessibility for people with speech and hearing difficulties and for people without a SIM card issued by Latvian mobile operators.
- In addition to this in the 112 Latvia application, residents will be able to familiarise themselves with tips on how to deal with various threats and learn about the operational services current affairs.
You can download application "112 Latvija" at Google play and AppStore. It is suitable for use on smartphones with iOS and Android operating systems. The app is free, but according to the mobile connection rate you choose, Internet charges may be charged.
New website www.112.lv - Safety tips for all operational services, recommendations for action on threats and current developments in one place.
In order to improve citizens knowledge of the single emergency number 112 and the response to various threats, as well as to raise awareness of those cases where it is necessary to call the 112 number, but where assistance will be provided by other authorities or economic operators, the website www.112.lv is launched. It summarizes in one place the security tips provided by Latvian operational services for proper action in various threats. Alongside this, warnings about potential threats and necessary action will be placed on the website on an operational basis.
“The idea of a single website that collectively publishes recommendations on various threats is a long-standing idea that we could pursue as part of this ERDF project. With its help, we hope to raise citizens' awareness of those situations where assistance from operational services is needed and when assistance is provided by other institutions and merchants, as well as knowledge of actions in various threats," explains M.Baltmanis.
The project “Single Contact Centre Platform for support to operational services and supply of public services” of measure 2.2.1.1 “Development of centralised ICT platforms of public Administration, Optimisation and Development of public Administration processes” of the operational Programme “Growth and Employment” of the European Regional Development Fund, specific support objective 2.2.1 “to ensure increase re-use of public data and efficient interaction between public administration and private sector” was implemented in the period from 25.08.2018 to 27.12.2023.
Within the framework of the Project, the concept of the Single Contact Centre Platform solution has been developed, technical specifications for information systems and infrastructure solutions, upgrading of servers, networks and telephony solutions has been carried out, the Single Contact Centre Platform information system has been developed and implemented in operation, the website www.112.lv , 112 Latvija iOS and Android applications, the business processes of operational services have been modernised and adapted for operation with the Single Contact Centre Platform. The most complex and complex phase of implementation of the solution – implementation of the information system – progressed gradually, starting using the solution from the less congested regions – Latgale and Vidzeme to Riga, where the most emergency applications are submitted.
The total costs of the Project amount to EUR 5 000 000, including: Financing of the European Regional Development Fund EUR 4 250 000 and financing of the State budget EUR 750 000. The developer of information technology solutions for is SIA “Meditec”, while project management is ensured by the Information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior.
